AKTINA’s Concert with Melina Aslanidou a Huge Success

New York’s AKTINA FM and AKTINA TV hosted recently at the Town Hall Theatre for the 4th consecutive year their concert from the series GREEK MUSIC JOURNEY (est. 1997) featuring unforgettable songs from the Greek Cinema with the popular singer Melina Aslanidou who truly won and captured the hearts of all in attendance.

Against a backdrop of videos projected on a big screen in full sequence with the live orchestra, Aslanidou was on stage for some two and a half hours reviving some of the most representative hits of Greek cinema by great Greek composers such as Theodorakis, Hadjidakis, Plessas, Xarhakos, Zambetas and others. Aslanidou shared the stage with Vangelis Douvalis a new and upcoming singer whose performance won him cheers and enthusiastic applause from the audience. The musicians that comprised the Popular Orchestra of Greek Music EMMETRON lead by bouzouki maestro Manolis Georgostathis, were equally amazing and they were also rewarded for their talented performance with cheers and non-stop applause.

The concert opened with a video excerpt from the movie "Olga My Love" and the song "Ti Sou Kana Ke Pinis" music by M. Plessas and lyrics by L. Papadopoulos which was originally performed by legendary singer Poly Panou, however became very popular years later by Melina Aslanidou, as the song's lyricist Lefteris Papadopoulos also verifies in his Prologue in the concert's printed Program. They were followed by great hits and music themes from renowned and award winning movies such as "Stella", "Mantalena", "Never On Sunday", "Amerika, Amerika", "Honeymoon", "Serpico", "Rembetiko" , "Zorba The Greek" among others. In all there were songs from 24 different movies.

The most unique aspect of the entire performance was again this year the warm reception reserved for the performers. From beginning to end people were fully engaged and acted as a big back up chorus for Melina Aslanidou and Vangelis Douvalis who truly mastered the stage with their performance but also with their pleasant and cordial personalities. They sang but also danced to the everlasting songs they revived. The orchestra made up of some of the most representative and leading musicians of Greece who are credited for recording the majority of Greek discography and working with all of the major composers and singers was equally captivating and each one displayed their talent in this one of a kind musical performance.

There were also exceptional moments for the famous drummer Yiannis Sarikos who almost brought the house down in one of his solos and in the same manner the rest of musicians, Dimos Polymeris (accordion), Panagiotis Georgotas (bass), Panagiotis Samaras (guitar) and Antonis Logothetis (keyboards). The superb sound was mastered again this year by Yiannis Paxevanis who is also an award winning composer of music for films and documentaries in Greece. AKTINA TV's Production Director, Tom Stouras mastered beautifully the projection of the videos up on the big screen as well as the projection of the singers and the orchestra for everyone in the theatre to further enjoy and appreciate.

Over 1,100 people attended in the 1,400-capacity theatre comprised by Greek Americans and American lovers of Greek music from different ethnic groups of all ages. The participation of many young Greek Americans from the new generations who were born and raised in this country was very impressive, while equally impressive was the attendance of people who travelled to New York especially for this performance from Los Angeles, Boston, Florida and other distant states.

Upon arriving on the stage at the stage to thank the participating performers and the audience, Elena Maroulleti, AKTINA’s founder and director, proudly proclaimed in Greek "Zito To Elliko Tragoudi" (Hail To Greek Song). "This is what Greek music is all about," she further said as she embraced Aslanidou and thanked her for her outstanding performance. In the same enthusiastic manner Maroulleti also praised and thanked each of the participating musicians including singer Vangelis Douvalis noting that "AKTINA always proposes the great and unforgettable songs of the old school of great singers but at the same time also proposes to all to discover and become acquainted with the talented singers of the new school". Maroulleti encouraged all to continue to support AKTINA so "that the organization may continue bringing such unique performances" and invited all to join the next GREEK MUSIC JOURNEY which has been already booked at the Town Hall on Friday, May 14, 2010 with a new musical theme.

The concert was presented by AKTINA FM and AKTINA TV and was made possible in part by The New York City Department of Cultural Affairs, Arch Capital Services, Inc., The Pancyprian Association of America, Astoria Federal Savings Bank, Kellari Taverna, PJ Mechanical Corp., and private individuals. Greece's Satellite Channel Antenna was a media sponsor and Kellari Taverna in Manhattan, NY, the official Caterer.

©2009 NEOCORP MEDIA

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